Hyderabad, April 4, 2026:
In a major push to strengthen grassroots innovation under the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) on Saturday launched ATL Sarthi and Mentor India Academy in Telangana, bringing structured mentorship and institutional support to 379 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across the state.
The initiative is designed to deepen the school-to-startup innovation pipeline, enabling young student innovators to convert early-stage ideas into scalable real-world solutions. Officials said the programme will position Telangana as a key node in India’s rapidly expanding grassroots innovation ecosystem.
The launch event was attended by Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Union Coal & Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy, alongside senior AIM and state government officials.
Under the ATL Sarthi framework, the 379 labs in Telangana will be grouped into regional clusters and connected with leading local institutions for continuous mentoring, teacher capacity building, incubation support, and startup guidance. Vardhaman College of Engineering has been selected as the state nodal institution, leveraging its expertise in technical education, innovation, and entrepreneurship to support ATL schools and strengthen the local innovation network.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said the initiative would create meaningful bridges between young learners and high-quality institutions, helping students think creatively, solve real-world problems, and contribute to nation-building. He described such interventions as essential to shaping a generation that is confident, capable, and prepared for future challenges.
The Mentor India Academy component will focus on giving students hands-on exposure to emerging technologies, structured problem-solving frameworks, and pathways to scale their innovations, while also strengthening teachers’ ability to embed innovation as an ongoing culture within schools.
AIM Mission Director Deepak Bagla said the programme reflects the Prime Minister’s long-term vision of fostering innovation from an early age and building a sustained talent pipeline for India’s competitiveness and self-reliance.
